How did two deadly felons escape Clinton Dannemora Prison? Let us show you.
Saturday morning, Corrections officers in Clinton-Dannemora Prison in the northern Adirondacks found that two high-risk inmates had vanished from their cells in the maximum security portion of the facility. In more than a century, no prisoner had ever managed to flee that section of the lock-up, which stands behind a massive white wall in a remote corner of New York state just south of the US-Canada border. So how did they do it? Here’s what we know from photographs and information provided by New York state officials Saturday afternoon.
“When you look at how it was done, it was extraordinary,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo. “You look at the precision of the operation, it was truly extraordinary…it was elaborate, it was sophisticated. So this was not easily accomplished”
Step One: Here’s how the inmates escaped their cell. All photos: Office of Gov. Cuomo
Step One: First, Richard Matt and David Sweat dug a hole through a wall of their cell that was partially concealed behind a bunk-bed, leaving dummies in their places to fool guards who were doing headcounts. The ruse wasn’t discovered until just before 6 am Saturday morning. “This morning, we noticed…the two cells which were adjoining each other were empty,” said Acting Corrections Commissioner Anthony Annucci, speaking outside the prison.
Step Two: They emerged onto this catwalk, where the inmates apparently had access to power tools.
Step Two: From there, the two men “went onto a catwalk which is about six stories high,” Annucci said. “We estimate they climbed down and had power tools and were able to get out of this facility through tunnels, cutting their way in several spots.”
Step Three: The men navigated non-secure parts of the prison.
Step Three: The men apparently had the information needed to navigate a series of utility tunnels, cutting their way through at least one metal wall as they made their way through the facility’s non-secure areas. Governor Andrew Cuomo on Saturday toured a part of the path that the men followed.
Step Four: Cutting through a steam pipe to create an escape tunnel. They left behind a taunting note (yellow post-it says “Have a Nice Day”).
Step Four: At a key point, again using power tools, the inmates “were able to cut through a steam pipe at both ends,” Annucci said, describing the escape as a “very elaborate plan.” It appears that the inmates actually clambered through a section of the steam pipe, visible here at right.
Step Five: Out through a manhole cover.
Step Five: The inmates eventually escaped the prison entirely by crawling out through a manhole cover located on the village of Dannemora’s main street. Their current location remains unknown with a massive manhunt now underway, shown below at left. “This is quite an unusual occurrence,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo. “It was an elaborate plot. It was elaborate, it was sophisticated, it encompassed drilling through steel walls and steel pipes.”
What Comes Next: These inmates are viewed as highly dangerous. A massive manhunt and an investigation are now underway. “This was not easily accomplished,” Cuomo said. “The suggestion that they needed power tools to accomplish this, how did they get power tools?”
Also very glad to see the useless GOV preparing for a new career by auditioning for a part in the movie.
Doesn’t anyone in law enforcement know how to conduct a combat sweep of a relatively limited area utilizing overwhelming numerical, tactical and intel superiority to either capture these guys or eliminate the possibility they are hiding in Cadyville? After a week all we have is the hapless accomplice in custody and the statement that there have been no confirmed sightings of the escapees. Maybe Cuomo should go back to Dannemora and ask the inmates if they know anything. Look how well his last visit turned out.
Look again at the note. Its an arrow pointing in the direction of the escape path. Could possibly have been left by the people who were springing the prisoners.
One other thing about that note. Its being held by what looks to me like a magnet that you can buy at any Home Depot and is often used in places like cabinet shops (for making door latches or jigs). Whoever left the note, knew a Post it would not stick to the cold, dirty steel pipe, with temperature and humidity changes. If the magnet was originally there when found by authorities you can bet that is an “directional arrow” and not a smiley face (sic).
Things of interest to me in the escape:
1, Two convicted murderers put side by side in an “Honor Block”…….how’d they get that? Honorable mention in metal shop??
2. Not mentioning the electrical wire running round the cell wall and the groutless brick near the grate they escaped from, in each of the pictures I cannot see any dust,debris.
3. Notice the inside of the steam pipe? No metal shavings, no real dirt from footprints or slide tracks……
4. How does one cut through thick pipe then know when and where to cut out through?
a). Last time I checked a steam pipe and sewer pipe( drainage pipe) are two separate systems……..that’s three time consuming cutting taking place.
b). A prison with a community surrounding it and from what I’m not reading……..NO security on the drain pipe/s leading in or out of it???? Seriously??!
5. Let me get this straight- No cell searches, No random bed check . No observations of beds with guaze silencers on the feet?
A,)psycicses me that they have the balls to point a finger at this woman in an attempt to explain away the rampant carelessness that they had allowed to take place.
B). If they want arrests for the criminals involved then maybe it should start at the top and work its way down with misconduct,criminal negligence,endangering the public etc….
C,Mon……those guys are way inside Canada by now.
Bloodhounds? Might as well call in the psychics. This day and age that prison had no cameras around town for this exact reason amazes me.
One last thought……the note they left behind on a nice clean post it type yellow paper; why did they choose to cartoon a Chinese character? ( racist but who were they directing this at)?
Here’s a thought. Maybe they found a way to make sure their prison got funded for renovation? Crazy? Not as crazy as all the unanswered failures in this story.
Communication…… Had they been helped by people getting in to the prison, somewhere along the way verbal or written updates or planned time stables would have been exchanged. The cut on the steam pipe shown was done on the outside…..do you realize how difficult cutting out of that pipe would have been? Not to mention access to the drain system and any bars along that route blocking the way. Lastly to cut a locked manhole.
All this had been done weeks and months prior to this escape, no doubt.
What’s not being reported is the lack of perimeter checks ensuring no breeches were made.
Too much cutting and inside knowledge of the prison layout to be done in one night.
No head counts from 12am to 6am? Hell, they didn’t need blueprints, they were given cart blanch.
Interesting discussion. Appreciate all comments, esp. tech descriptions of tools/welding, tack welds/vents, etc. Just to clarify, it is my impression that assigning inmates to “honor block” is based on “good behavior” rather than psych assess.
Also, some “trivial” details: notice the yellow note affixed to pipe. It appears to be: 1) unharmed by any of huge sweaty labors presumably required by the missing inmates; and 2) attached by a small magnet (where and how to obtain this?).
There was use not only of power tools here, but also packing materials (as noted earlier–plastic-wrapped bunk legs), and, of all things, office supplies (paper, magnets). Of all the materials used in this process (power tools, cords, power source, packing material, paper, magnet), I believe that only the “office supplies” are easier to obtain in “honor block”.
Why they did not keep the details of the escape confidential is beyond me. It looks like the state of NY is going out of the way to make folk heroes out of these guys, with the political hack from Albany being the biggest idiot of all. I personally know a few current and retired Dannemora prison guards, but I know enough to keep my mouth shut on what they tell me really goes on behind the walls.
This will go down in history as the most famous jail break in history. Who would have dreamed that this could be done with
power tools? Give those two felons an award after they are caught. And they will be caught?
Don’t blame the guards. Prison is always noisy from what I have heard. Louder than a nightclub until 5:00 a.m. That is why
the guards didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Not to mention why prison employee Joyce Mitchell would want to help those two felon’s escape? I think her life was dull. She was craving attention and excitement. Now, she has excitement and if convicted will spend eight years in jail.
The smiley face was the the exclamation mark. They out flanked everyone. I would be surprised if they are still in the area.
About that note left behind………..
Neither inmate were Oriental, I’ll assume no guards were Oriental……..so why the out of place racist caricature? The basic design reminds me of a smiley face vector button used for logos.
The letters in have a nice day are printed funny- could be styalized writing or maybe……….
Since the yellow paper is clean and unwrinkled,the drawing wasn’t freehanded and the forethought of using a magnet to attach to the pipe—– maybe they left more than a taunt behind???
Guess they worried more about the bed sliding noise than power tools echoing into pipeing?
The hack from Albany said he was going to hand back the smiley face to the inmates once they’re caught. Another intelligent statement from the hack. The hack doesn’t even know he could get a fortune for it on E-Bay.
How’s that “We are coming for you” thing working out? Have a nice day, Gov. Cuomo.
I have lots of thoughts. Why is the governor on tv grandstanding all the time? Where is the warden? Or did he get fired already as he should. What kind of place allows employees to go to work in a max prison and not check out what they are bringing in? Are they serious? Then let’s mention employees having sex with prisoners. Oh my. And now the governor is appointing some special yadda, yadda, person to do a serious investigation about how this happened. Please, save the money. It happened because a series of people, employees, contractors, supervisors, a warden etc. are simply not paying attention! Asleep at the wheel. Oh, and by the way. Where do they all work? A maximum security prison!!!!!!
More expensive government nonsense now costing taxpayers $1 million a day for this ridiculous dance party.
If the inmates were to walk out of the woods today and surrender, this will still go down as one of the biggest, if not the biggest, debacles in the history of the New York prison system. This search is going to rapidly morph into damage control at all levels, from prison guard to the lead hack in Albany. Hopefully, they are captured soon.
The theories about an outside job breaking in to the prison and providing a route out for the inmates seems pretty clearly the most plausible. In fact, if you look at the picture of the steam pipe which authorities claim was cut from the inside you can clearly see a marking line on the outside of the pipe that extends past the right angle turn. Those straight cuts and near perfect square looks like something done by someone who knows their way around steel work and worked with some deliberation. It doesn’t look anything like a cut made from inside the tight confines of the steam pipe.
“Well as someone with family working in Clinton prison I am confident in saying the guys on the midnight shift do sleep, all the time, its so widespread its not even looked down on anymore.”
It’s common knowledge in the local community that this is the case. It’s considered to be one of the perks of the job. But the general public didn’t care about it because everything was hunky dory, until now that is. The statement by the CO union that the night shift is understaffed on the wall is pure nonsense. Not everyone is qualified with the AR-15 on the wall. But that doesn’t mean that someone not qualified with the AR can’t watch the street. Sleeping on the night shift is a waste of resources which could be used at least in some manner to better the security of the prison. The policy will most likely change as a result of the fiasco which occurred.
Why doesn’t New York State just fold it’s tent and then hand the whole place back over to the Indians.
In this day and age of night vision cameras with motion and/or sound detection, I can’t help to wonder why these “always vigilant’ electronic devices were not installed??! For Gods sake, one guard could monitor more areas safely than if they were on foot. I’m still puzzled as to why they’d pad their bed feet for noise…………even at 6 stories down you’d think the sound of a saw on steel steam pipe would echo throughout the piping?
These guys had someone pick them up and they his going through the Canadian border crossing eh! Then they crossed back in around Wisconsin…..after all- I doubt anyone would think they’d come back in the States!:-). I’m hoping they don’t repeat what they were in for, I pray that no one gets hurt and this ends soon. I’m still speechless that on National TV
Sorry, hadn’t finished previous comment.
National T.V. that a bag gets roped to to the guard tower!!! Seriously, failure from the top on down.
Enough from me.
My last thoughts and I swear my armchair knowitall input will fall silent. Speaking of silence, its supposed to be golden. With hopes the Polititions would utilize it more instead of making statements like ” were thinking about using GPS chips in inmates”. REALLY?? Wow, I can’t wait til they track that escapee down, only to find they removed it and reinstalled it on rat. How bout this: the Guards do their jobs cameras to aid their safety…..AND…….. They actually install metal bars in the sewers. Last but not least, IR Cameras outside the cells. That way they don’t have to make sure the lump in the bed to be the inmate. Doesn’t cost a whole bunch. Adds to their safety as well as the inmates safety. The failure is our whole way in which things are done. Well paid teachers, families that care and utilize or wise older generation instead of shipping them off cause we can’t afford their needs. Or pretty soon the prisons will outnumber our school . Be better built etc……easier said than done I know. If we don’t learn why other great civilizations died out then we will for sure be joining them. Peace to all of you and good luck.
The Chinese face on the note is racist but a Western face on the note is not racist. Only the liberal mentality would dream up nonsense like this. The note is most likely a cryptic message and the FBI profilers are analyzing it for clues. It could mean anything. The escapees could have mistakenly attributed to Confuscious the saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” or a million other things.
Gee, Jack, only the “conservative” mentality would dream up nonsense like calling the church shootings in S.C. an “attack on Christianity” rather than an attack on black people, as Fox “News” commentators recently did. Apparently to a “conservative” mentality, nothing is ever racist.
“Gee, Jack, only the “conservative” mentality would dream up nonsense like calling the church shootings in S.C. an “attack on Christianity” rather than an attack on black people, as Fox “News” commentators recently did. Apparently to a “conservative” mentality, nothing is ever racist.”
Very true. They should have said it was an attack on black Christians, a hate crime against both an ethnic group and a religious group.
Think they absolutely had outside help. Joyce M. was just a distraction and confusion. Bet they never intended her to go anywhere with them, OR to kill her husband. That was control. Someone else probably picked them up from nearby woods, drove them either to Canadian border or to Indian res, gave them false documents. Bet they crossed into Canada illegally, split up, and will lay low there for some time. Lots of wilderness in CAN! When international border is just 20 miles away, why go to VT or PA or ME? They would likely not risk traveling across US into Mexico right now, even with head start of up to 7 hours, though that may well be ultimate destination for at least one of them.
this looks like it was done months in advance (the bricks stacked neatly ) wasn’t the steam pipes hot,& the clean cut square on the pipes was neatly done had to have some time to do it that good.
I would like to know if there were any contractors doing any kind of work the last year or so in the prison.
Geeze Adirondack Jack, Don’t know what my liberal mentality was thinking as I looked at the escapees note! Thank you also for assuring me that the FBI profilers will analyze that note for clues, maybe they’ll mistakingly attribute a liberal viewpoint that a caricature of a slanty eyed buck toothed oriental to be out of place………..NAH- could be anything!! Really Jack, To have preplanned that note by using a straight edge for the hat and something round to guide their pen instead of free handing it all. Not to mention the crisp clean paper and a magnet cause they knew they needed something to hang it by. Judging by the handwriting shake and arrogant taunt and clean getaway……. Ya really feel they ” mistakingly” did anything here? No, that note was well thought out…..probably all the way down to the color of paper and the italicized letters used. Maybe I’m just fishing on a slow boat to China on this! Bucking the system and orienting my slant with ancient chinese secret??? Trust me Jack, I’m far from liberal and unfortunately have an understanding how these guys think, I’m almost positive they knew the tailer lady would not be there with a ride out. They filled her head so she would misinform the authorities and buy them more time and space.